1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for collecting and disseminating information to facilitate the delivery of consulting services. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for facilitating the delivery of consulting services to the medical and hospital industry.
2. Background
Consulting is the art of providing expert advice in a particular domain or area of expertise. The traditional consulting model of delivering consulting services is well-established. One or more consultants visit a place of business and/or meet personnel to identify issues or problems that may be detrimentally affecting the business or other undertaking, and then propose solutions to address those issues or problems based on the consultant's experience in the relevant field. Frequently, the consultant will also assist in the implementation of the proposed solutions to better ensure that the solutions are effective.
As those skilled in the art appreciate, consulting services can be expensive. In large part this expense is attributable to the established delivery model. Despite the cost, consultants are able to command relatively high rates of remuneration precisely because they are people who tend to have highly-specialized knowledge in a particular field, and further tend to have the unique ability to apply that knowledge to newly-presented problems and situations. Unfortunately, for many individuals, small businesses and other relatively small, or even medium-sized, enterprises, the price of consulting services is often beyond what is considered affordable, and consequently, such entities tend to not be able to take advantage of the value that consulting services and consultants can provide.